Elizabeth Smith Sleeper

She was born to Myron Augustus Smith and Pauline Thompson Smith in Fort Worth on the 21st of January 1924. After the death of their mother in 1927, Elizabeth and her sister, Pauline, went to El Paso and were lovingly raised by Laurence Edwin Stevens and Frances Smith Stevens.

She attended public schools in El Paso, and after graduating from El Paso High School, went on to receive her BBA from the University of Texas, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority. After graduation, she moved to Midland, where she met and married the love of her life, Lockert Sleeper, in El Paso on the 29th of October 1949. They lived in Fort Worth; suburbs of New York, New York; and Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving to Houston in April 1968.

Elizabeth was a Charter Member of the Midland Junior League, contributing her time as the chairman of various committees. She served on the Board of Directors of the Midland Family Counselling Services and Delta Delta Delta in both Midland and Houston. For a number of years, she was active in the Junior League of Houston Sustaining Group’s Musical Therapy Group, forming a number of close friendships as she sang at various nursing homes in the Houston area. Elizabeth was also a member of the Houston Racquet Club, Houston Club, and Horseshoe Bay Club. She was an active member of the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church Altar Guild for over 35 years.

First and foremost, Elizabeth enjoyed life with her family. She was the happiest when involved with her grandchildren and their activities, volunteer work and community drives, her church, and traveling throughout the world with her husband and friends.

She is predeceased by her loving husband of 64 years, James Lockert Sleeper; parents, Myron Augustus Smith, Pauline Thompson Smith, Frances Smith Stevens, Laurence Edwin Stevens; and her sister, Pauline Smith Burdick. She is survived by her beloved family: her son, David Lockert Sleeper and wife Barbara; and her daughter, Frances Sleeper Moore. She is additionally survived by her grandsons, Ryan Sleeper and his wife Tami, Robert Sleeper and his fiancé Josh Neal, and Dave Moore; granddaughter, Karen Sleeper; granddaughter, Emily Merritt and husband John; and great grandchildren Madeline Elizabeth Merritt and Lock Myers Sleeper, all of whom she loved dearly.

The family would like to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to Sid Gerber of Sid Gerber & Associates and Elizabeth’s devoted caregivers Francis Washington, Elizabeth Sekyere, Maria Ramirez, and Mabel Omagorosire.

A memorial service celebrating Elizabeth’s life is to be conducted at three o’clock in afternoon on Friday, the 26th of April at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the Gladney Center for Adoption, 6300 John Ryan Dr., Fort Worth, TX, 76132, or St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Rd., Houston, TX, 77056.